Training under E-CHASI project on IPM in Rice
An Exposure Visit-Cum-Training Programme on ‘Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Rice” was organized on 20th March 2024, at ICAR-NRRI, Cuttack, under the E-CHASI (Enhancing Resilience of Smallholders to Climate Change through Sustainable Intensification and Digital Driven Knowledge Dissemination) project. Progressive farmers, numbering 30 from Sahada and Rajualibindha villages in Bhadrak District, participated in this programme. The farmers were imparted training on various facets, includes enriching knowledge on different insect pest, diseases of rice and their damage symptoms, deploying biocontrol agents and bio-pesticides for eco-friendly rice insect pest and disease management, mass production of insect natural enemies, and their utilization for insect pest management. The farmers were also been sensitised to make use of insect monitoring techniques like light traps and pheromone traps, and selection of appropriate nozzles for achieving better insect and disease control. Special emphasis was given to encourage the farmers to utilize the ICT tool, riceXpert App developed by ICAR-NRRI, to identify various insect pests, diseases, and nematodes of rice. Drone-based pesticide application, the recent development in crop protection have been demonstrated to them at the NRRI farm. Farmers shared their experiences and appreciated the different technologies intervened by ICAR-NRRI at the project sites. Dr. A.K. Nayak, Director, ICAR-NRRI, and Principal Investigator of the E-CHASI project, emphasized for the development of e-learning platforms that can improve farmers’ skills in pest management through online learning in the era of advanced ICT. He also advised creating a dedicated WhatsApp group for the farmers to connect with scientists to address insect pest and disease problems on a real-time basis. The course director of the training program, Dr. S.D. Mohapatra, Head, Crop Protection Division of ICAR-NRRI, briefed farmers and audiences about the course programme in detail. Scientists, Dr. M. Annamalai and Dr. Raghu S coordinated this training programme with the support of the staffs of the Crop Protection Division and E-CHASI Project.
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